President Obama faced a lot of criticism, from both the Left and the Right, over his decision this spring to help spearhead NATO's military campaign in Libya. Now that the NATO-backed rebel army appears to be on the cusp of ending the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi, critics are struggling to applaud the outcome without cheering the president or his strategy of "leading from behind." Will this foreign policy victory help Obama convince voters that he deserves a second term?
Yes. Obama wins and his GOP rivals lose: Defeating a U.S. enemy who "outlasted Reagan and both Bushes," and with zero U.S. casualties, is not just a boost for Obama, says Tom Levenson at Balloon Juice. It's also an embarrassment for his 2012 GOP rivals. After their incoherent and incorrect criticisms of Obama's strategy, it's clear that if you care about "a robust and effective foreign policy, there is not a single clown seeking your vote on the GOP side who would seem to merit your trust."
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